December 15 | The Image of God

The concept of God being real, but invisible, is a hard one to get your brain around. All of us at some point wonder, “What is God like? If I could just see him, it would be easier to believe in him.” Amazingly, God the Father is perfectly revealed in Jesus. Colossians 1.15 tells us, “The Son is the image of the invisible God.” God in his love and mercy answers that question for us in the person of Jesus.

Jesus, being the image of God, means several things: in him all the fullness of God dwells in bodily form (Colossians 2.9) and seeing him and believing in him is seeing and believing in God who sent him (John 12.44-45, John 14.9).

The Jews of his time fully understood what Jesus meant when he claimed to be God; it meant he was guilty of blasphemy, a crime worthy of stoning. In John 8.58 when he calls himself “I AM,”—the name God gave Moses to share with Israel—those listening picked up rocks to stone him.

Jesus is the fullest representation of God that humans can see and understand. He embodies God’s character, personality, ideas, morality, virtues, mercy, history, and expectations.

Today consider the One Big Question: What image of God do you have in your mind when you pray? Discuss this with your small group circle or a friend. Consider the image of God that Jesus portrays as you continue to learn more about him.